Seemingly sensing the intense battle intent radiating from the Blood-Red Demon Sword, Luo Jiang’s already crimson eyes erupted with dazzling flames, his terrifying killing aura surging out in all directions like a monstrous tidal wave!
Buzz! The Blade of Destiny in his hand felt as if it were about to break free of control and leap into the fray. Jidu was greatly shocked, yet he too felt the frenzied warlust emanating from the Blade of Destiny!
“Good fellow! Let us end this destiny together!” Jidu spoke in a deep voice.
As if sensing Jidu’s resolve, the Blade of Destiny ceased its rapid, low-pitched trembling and lay still in Jidu’s hand. Simultaneously, a profound, unfamiliar energy instantly surged from the hand gripping the blade, flowing outward and enveloping Jidu’s entire form!
Ah! Could this be the hidden power of the Blade of Destiny? Jidu could hardly believe what he felt! Yet, this only solidified his conviction that victory in this battle was inevitable!
Hah! Crimson Blood Demon Sword! Come then! Jidu roared, righteousness blazing within him!
Roar! Luo Jiang’s reply was a thunderous roar, like the sky itself cracking!
Clang! Like a blood-red sphere detonating, the crimson battle aura that had enveloped Luo Jiang instantly surged, scattering violently in every direction!
Roar! Amidst a tiger’s howl that shook the heavens and earth, a streak of bloody light, like a meteor tearing across the night sky, flashed a dazzling brilliance in the overcast heavens, flying directly towards Jidu’s chest!
Jidu’s eyes closed slightly. With mere sight, he could no longer track the speed or trajectory of that strike. Even under the state of the Eye of Death-Lust, all he could capture was a distorted, eerie afterimage. But that was enough!
The Raging Lion Battle Qi, mixed with the mysterious power flowing from the Blade of Destiny, was instantly catalyzed to its limit! Jidu’s stalwart frame merely retreated half a step. He slightly flipped the Blade of Destiny in his hand, and a streak of brilliant white light trailed along the blade’s dark surface, forming a band of light like a colossal light shield, appearing instantaneously before the streak of bloody light!
Bang! A dull, resounding crash! At the epicenter where the bloody streak and the white shield collided, a burst of interwoven red and white light erupted, spraying outwards like shrapnel from an explosion.
Luo Jiang’s bloody figure was swept backward along with these dispersing fragments! The sheer force of impact caused Jidu’s robust body to involuntarily stagger back five or six paces before he could halt his momentum!
In this opening exchange, clearly neither side had unleashed their full power! They were merely probing each other’s depths.
This fellow’s strength has indeed advanced considerably, Jidu thought, inwardly alarmed. He had initially assumed that relying on the power of the Blade of Destiny would grant him a steady advantage; now he realized that thought was somewhat naive.
Roar! Luo Jiang, having landed, swiftly adjusted his posture, gazing at Jidu with an uncertain expression. Clearly, Jidu’s sudden surge in power made Luo Jiang feel an inexplicable sense of danger as well!
The direct clash just now seemed to have yielded no advantage to either side!
The two men scrutinized each other once more, attempting to find a flaw in the other’s defense!
“In terms of Battle Qi energy, the two seem quite evenly matched!” Feng Yuanming worried.
“It was only the first test; it’s hard to determine whose Battle Qi is stronger right now,” Bi Yan commented. “The situation looks like a stalemate for now.”
“Indeed, until the very end, no one can say for certain how this will turn out,” Jian Li said, pulling out a spare weapon from his spatial wrap. The others did likewise, though Jian Li looked slightly surprised to see his Dragon Shadow Sword entirely intact.
“Xingchen’s sword was forged from the exact same material as the Crimson Blood Demon Sword,” Lu Tong explained, seemingly catching Jian Li’s curiosity. “In terms of quality, it might even surpass the Demon Sword. Although this sword spirit submits to the Demon Sword, its core material is not something that can be so easily shattered.”
“I see,” Jian Li said, displaying a look of sudden enlightenment. If that was the case, in terms of material quality, the Dragon Shadow Sword was unrivaled under heaven.
“I wouldn’t claim it’s the crown of all under heaven, but perhaps only super-heavy weapons like the Dragon Slaying Fury or the Warlord’s Blade could surpass the Dragon Shadow Sword,” Lu Tong sighed. “It’s just a pity that we cannot imbue the Dragon Shadow Sword with the pure, upright, vast righteousness that the Blade of Destiny possesses. I’ve only grasped the superficial aspects of the ancient sword-forging techniques.”
“…” Jian Li had no words; he could only watch the unfolding events in the arena with silent intensity.
By now, almost everyone had drawn their backup weapons. However, recalling the shocking scene where countless weapons hummed in unison before shattering, they couldn't suppress lingering fear. If that scenario happened again, they reckoned they would be entirely useless.
Within the Thunder Array, I was equally focused, staring at the combatants, awaiting the opportune moment to strike Luo Jiang with a fatal blow.
On the field!
The two opponents remained locked in a standoff, neither able to discern a breach in the other’s defense. However, Luo Jiang’s patience was clearly inferior to Jidu’s—or perhaps his impulsive and aggressive nature predestined him for a fighting style as fierce as a raging storm.
After only a brief moment to catch his breath, he spurred his Battle Qi once more, becoming a blur of afterimages as he closed in with lightning speed! This strike was utterly devoid of flair; its sole reliance was raw speed, a characteristic shared by the fighting styles of past masters of the Crimson Blood Sword.
In an instant, Luo Jiang’s crimson afterimage appeared three meters before Jidu. The bloody sword edge was already aimed at Jidu’s vital throat!
Jidu’s speed was equally astonishing; almost the moment Luo Jiang materialized, he executed a nimble backward step!
Whoosh! The crimson blade flashed by, striking nothing but an afterimage. In that brief instant, Jidu had managed to evade Luo Jiang’s thrust.
But as Luo Jiang missed, the power of his strike instantly flared with blood-red light, sending an intense, unparalleled bolt of battle qi lightning towards the rapidly retreating Jidu.
It seemed as if the four-foot-long blade had suddenly stretched over ten meters, accompanied by the sound of sharp, whistling air tearing apart!
Good heavens, Jidu seemed to have anticipated this move from Luo Jiang. He executed another sidestep, shifting laterally, and in a flash of light and sparks, dodged that incredibly fast sword-qi attack!
Bang! The missed sword qi struck a large tree in the distance, shattering it into fragments, sending dust and debris soaring toward the sky.
Luo Jiang, having missed with his qi, did not pause for a second. His blood-red figure shot into the high sky like a soaring white crane! At the apex of his ascent, the four-foot-long crimson blade flared brilliantly, transforming into a greatsword of fire, blazing fiercely! He raised it high above his head! What followed was an earth-shattering, muffled roar! The twenty-meter-long greatsword of fire, like a bloody rainbow plummeting from the ninth heaven, descended with terrifying speed toward Jidu below!
Ah! What terrifying battle qi energy! Even from this distance, I could feel the horrifying power contained within that strike; it felt as if the entire world trembled and shivered because of this one sword!
I cannot imagine how Jidu could possibly defend against this attack, which seemed capable of annihilating heaven and earth, utterly unparalleled in its might! In terms of speed, power, and angle of attack, this strike was the most fearsome I had ever witnessed, even surpassing the "Tiger Howl Across the Sky" Luo Jiang had unleashed ten days prior!
In just ten short days, Luo Jiang’s strength had surged to this astonishing degree!
Roar! Heavenly God Phantasm! The moment the greatsword of fire was about to strike! Jidu’s golden figure instantly burst into a dazzling golden light and vanished as if into thin air!
If I didn't possess the Eye of Death-Lust, I wouldn't have been able to discern what Jidu had done in that instant!
I cannot imagine that such an exquisitely refined footwork existed. This movement shared similarities with my own sword-drawing steps, yet it was faster, more unpredictable, and utterly intangible. In that brief moment, Jidu merely tapped his left foot lightly on the ground, propelling himself away from the descending greatsword of fire!
Then, with divine skill, he reappeared behind Luo Jiang! The Blade of Destiny flashed like lightning, slashing towards Luo Jiang’s neck!
Roar! Luo Jiang seemed to have anticipated Jidu’s position! The greatsword of fire, halfway through its downward chop, executed a subtle reversal, turning the downward slash into a sweeping arc behind him!
Ah! What swift reaction! Although both attacks seemed simultaneous, Luo Jiang’s concentrated, full-body force behind the sword strike had not diminished in the slightest. The intensely condensed battle qi forming the greatsword of fire retained its terrifying power to cleave mountains and shatter stone. If Jidu met it head-on, his simple blade sweep would gain no advantage whatsoever!
Jidu instantly understood Luo Jiang’s intent! The Blade of Destiny, midway through its attack, was suddenly retracted, and his body shot backward like lightning!
Whoosh! The sweeping greatsword of fire passed almost grazing Jidu’s chest, churning past with furious momentum! However, the sharp ripple of battle qi and the mere aftershock of the blade edge left a startling, deep gash on the breastplate of Jidu’s golden Heavenly Demon Armor!
“Ah! What overbearing swordsmanship!” Jian Li gasped, shocked that even the Heavenly Demon Armor had been cut!
“If it weren’t for Jidu’s formidable defensive battle qi, he probably would have been cleaved in two even wearing the Heavenly Demon Armor from that single sweep,” Lu Tong exclaimed in horror.
“Strange, Luo Jiang’s swordsmanship feels completely different from last time,” I murmured. Whether it was my illusion or not, I felt none of the shadow of the Luo family’s White Tiger Saber Technique in Luo Jiang’s current performance!
“That’s natural. Luo Jiang has been recognized as a martial arts genius since childhood. Besides his ancestral saber technique, he has also mastered the exquisite sword arts of various continental sects. Now that he wields the Crimson Blood Demon Sword, the Luo family’s White Tiger Saber Technique is no longer suitable. It’s not strange that he switched to sword arts,” Lu Tong explained.
As they spoke, Luo Jiang, having missed with his sweep, struck the ground with his sword mid-air. The long, fiery greatsword, which had stretched over ten meters, instantly plunged towards the ground directly beneath him!
Boom! A resounding crash! The entire ground seemed pulverized, sending countless shards of rock and debris flying like a violent storm towards Jidu, who was thirty meters away. Simultaneously, using the explosion’s force, Luo Jiang shifted direction in mid-air and flew towards Jidu! The still-condensed greatsword of fire cleaved downwards again towards Jidu!
All of this happened in the span of a few breaths. I couldn't fathom the kind of formidable cultivation required to achieve such extreme materialization of condensed battle qi. This duel far exceeded the life-and-death battle we witnessed in Dujiang City! Both Luo Jiang and Jidu had grown stronger.
Come then! Jidu had dodged the greatsword of fire moments before, but now he was immediately engulfed by the storm of rock and debris flying at him. He could not escape, or rather, he had no intention of fleeing!
The Blade of Destiny erupted in a dazzling streak of brilliant white light, soaring upwards like a waterfall descending from the ninth heaven.
Ah! This move was remarkably similar to the Submerged Dragon Ascends that Jidu had used previously. However, Jidu now appeared far more composed than when he had been backed into a corner before. The dazzling white light transformed into a nimble battle qi shield, lightly circling Jidu’s body. Every shard of rock flying towards him was instantly pulverized, scattering everywhere!
In the swirling dust and smoke, Luo Jiang’s greatsword of fire finally cleaved down from above!
Hah! The white light, which had been moving up and down, seemed to come alive without hesitation or retreat, charging towards the towering sword descending from the sky!
Crash! Boom-rumble! The entire world was once again enveloped in dull roaring and dazzling light explosions! Even though we had adapted to these high-intensity combat scenarios, we were still nearly overwhelmed, struggling to keep our blood from churning and our mouths from spitting blood!
The two powerful sword energies finally collided head-on, an irresistible clash without any pretense!
Whoosh! At the moment of impact, both figures were violently repelled dozens of meters at astonishing speed before they could arrest their momentum and stop!
“Incredible! Is this the true strength of a Heavenly Demon Warrior!” Feng Qingtian exclaimed in shock. This scene far surpassed his wildest imagination.
The other young warriors watched with their mouths agape. A life-and-death struggle between such peerless masters was a rare sight, occurring perhaps once in a century, and they were now witnessing it firsthand!
“That Heavenly Demon is fierce, but the Human Demon is not bad either,” Xia Ya observed. “To fight this far against a Heavenly Demon Warrior wielding the Blade of Destiny—Luo Jiang is terrifying.”
“Luo Jiang is now completely integrated with the Crimson Blood Demon Sword,” Lu Tong stated. “It can be said that Jidu is not fighting Luo Jiang now, but the sword spirit of the Crimson Blood Demon Sword. Under the spirit’s control, Luo Jiang’s formidable physical body is able to unleash this astonishing power.”
“No wonder the Feng Mo brothers tried every means possible to ensure Luo Jiang obtained the Crimson Blood Demon Sword,” Jian Li remarked. “When a demon matches a demon sword, the result is truly terrifying.”
“If they are allowed to continue growing stronger, perhaps even two Jidus would no longer be their match,” Lu Tong worried deeply!
As they spoke, the situation on the field had dramatically shifted. Luo Jiang had not returned to the ground since the start; he circled Jidu like a agile eagle, poised to deliver a fatal blow at any opportunity.
Meanwhile, Jidu on the ground moved like a cunning venomous snake, his specialty being striking upwards from below—a trait evident in his ultimate technique, Submerged Dragon Ascends. It could be said that their fighting styles represented two extremes, yet they perfectly countered each other!
Luo Jiang, who had been pushed back, without landing, executed another sword-point strike on the ground, his body darting like lightning into the sky, soaring towards the airspace above Jidu!
Roar! The blood-red figure suddenly plummeted!
I cannot adequately describe the fluidity and sheer shock of this movement—soaring upward only to instantly dive down. Describing the speed and power of this figure using mere words feels too weak.
It was like a meteor that had pierced billions of light-years through time and space, tearing through the atmosphere, falling upon the mortal realm!
A sky full of sword qi, like countless scattered starlight, poured down upon the world. Every single thread of sword qi carried an indescribable fluidity and killing intent, enveloping Jidu’s stalwart body!
Ah! What kind of sword art is this? Relying on my superior intuition, I immediately sensed that what Luo Jiang was using now was no ordinary swordsmanship!
“Nine Heavens Star River Sword: Starfall from the Nine Heavens,” Jian Li exclaimed in shock. “I didn't expect Luo Jiang to have actually mastered this terrifying sword technique!”
Jidu’s grave expression showed a flicker of horror and panic for the first time! The Blade of Destiny danced like a roaring, soaring dragon, flipping up and down at astonishing speed. Every falling star-light beam was knocked aside by the dragon’s agile form, but with every impact, Jian Li’s expression grew paler, as if every single star-light contained a terrifying impact force! Jidu’s robust body was forced to retreat step after step!
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!… The dull, continuous thundering impacts hammered against the eardrums of everyone watching. With every muffled concussion, Jidu’s strong body was forced back an involuntary step!
But the dragon dancing up and down grew thicker and brighter! In that brief moment, it had already knocked away nine descending Star-Lightning strikes!
These nine consecutive sword qi strikes had already left Jidu feeling unsettled and his blood churning. It wasn’t that Jidu didn’t want to dodge; it was that he simply could not evade. This Nine Heavens Star River Sword, a technique existing only in legend, had been mastered by Luo Jiang. How many hidden cards did this blood-tiger Luo Jiang truly possess that Jidu was unaware of?
Whoosh! Roar! The nine Star-Lightning strikes had completely fallen, but Luo Jiang’s blood-red figure used the impact force of the explosions to launch himself back into the high sky! Executing a head-down, feet-up white crane reverse stab, he plummeted towards Jidu’s head!
An icy killing intent instantly locked onto Jidu. The innate intuition unique to a Heavenly Demon Warrior told Jidu immediately that this strike could not be escaped merely through footwork. Without reason, Jidu trusted his intuition implicitly; in the past, this same superior instinct had saved him from death countless times.
Under the state of the Eye of Death-Lust, Jidu clearly discerned the faint starlight twinkling in the void above him! Different from the previous Starfall from the Nine Heavens, these descending Star-Lightning bolts spiraled down in a bizarre, twisting arc, as if a colossal vortex was descending directly upon him!
Nine Heavens Star River Sword! Starry Cloud of Tumbling Rocks! In an instant, Jidu recalled the ancient texts describing the Nine Heavens Star River Sword. This vortex-like descent of Star-Lightning was the unique phenomenon accompanying the activation of the Starry Cloud of Tumbling Rocks.
The nine Star-Lightning bolts descended like nine lively, luminous comets, tracing bizarre spiral paths, appearing as if drawn by a divine brush—utterly natural, leaving no trace. This transcended the meaning of a sword. Jidu could not comprehend how this nearly mad Blood Tiger Luo Jiang had mastered this terrifying sword move, hailed as the foremost sword technique of the ages.
Roar! Divine Dragon Guard! Jidu frantically stimulated the battle qi within his body. The Blade of Destiny danced up and down, and a massive silver light dragon, drawn by the blade, circled his vital points at astonishing speed!
Bang, bang, bang! Countless dazzling light explosions erupted almost simultaneously. No one knew how many swords Jidu had managed to cut in that brief moment, but the deflected Star-Lightning bolts shot outwards at an incredible pace, blasting open countless shocking craters, as if a fleet of strategic bombers had dropped heavy ordnance—mushroom clouds soared everywhere, interspersed with debris and fragments.
Crash! Whoosh! The nine Star-Lightning bolts were once again scattered by the wildly dancing dragon in Jidu’s hands, but the onlookers didn't even have a moment to catch their breath!
Luo Jiang’s blood-red figure once again sprang into the high sky, his surrounding light intensifying, resembling a brilliant comet trailing a dazzling streak of blood-red light across the dark heavens! Carrying a terrifying impact force capable of shattering the world, he slammed into Jidu on the ground!
Nine Heavens Star River Sword—Moonfall, Star Sinking! Jian Li couldn't help but shout in alarm!
The onlookers were so oppressed by this terrifying aura that they could barely breathe. Everyone felt a sense of apocalyptic terror and despair! What kind of sword move was this? I cannot imagine—could this truly be a killing move wielded by a human?
Roar! Heavenly Demon Sacred Shield!
Jidu stomped his feet hard against the ground, and a dazzling halo of light fiercely radiated outwards from his body like ripples spreading across a calm lake! In that instant, the light surrounding Jidu surged again to a dizzying brilliance. The silver light dragon in his hand instantly soared above his head, spinning violently, instantly forming a massive light shield!
Bang! The blood-red comet and the white light shield finally collided! Boom! The entire sky shook, sending out a massive circle of light, and terrifying shockwaves of battle qi raged outwards like monstrous waves!
Pfft! Jidu was thrown back over a dozen steps before he could stop, spitting blood in disarray! Luo Jiang had already used the momentum of that powerful explosion to launch himself into the air again! The light from the blood-red sphere had not diminished in the slightest; instead, it grew brighter, and everyone felt the astonishing energy contained within it! When the dazzling sphere ascended to the high sky, it then dove down again, almost identically to the preceding Moonfall, Star Sinking! It hurtled towards Jidu on the ground with terrifying momentum!
Hoo! Jidu’s ghostly silhouette instantly fragmented into countless afterimages! At this moment, Jidu dared not clash head-on with Luo Jiang any longer, focused only on using his speed and movement techniques to break free from the lock of the Nine Heavens Star River Sword’s aura!
Yet, the blood-red comet smashing down from the void targeted Jidu’s true form like a precision long-range missile, finding him amidst the myriad illusory afterimages and descending unstoppably!